Town Notes
Published on December 19th, 2001
STONEHAM, MA - Drinking space
Selectmen acting in their role as the Liquor Licensing Board voted 4-1 last Tuesday to require applicants to show 750 square feet of seating on their site plans to qualify for a liquor license.
The majority of the Board supported the regulation as a condition of the 50 seat requirement. New applicants will no longer be able to cram 50 seats into tight quarters and claim qualification for a liquor license.
The regulation applies only to new applicants, not existing license holders. Although a Town Meeting vote would be necessary to ease the license requirements, Town Counsel Bill Solomon said Selectmen were within their authority to add stricter conditions.
Since Town Meeting dropped the seating requirement from 100 to 50 last year, Felicia’s and D’Agostino’s remodeled and got liquor licenses. Angelo’s is doing the same, and the owners of Kromel’s have discussed adding more seats and going for a license.
Selectman Bob Sweeney opposed the new regulation. He argued that the new rule made things more difficult for Stoneham businesses for no good reason.
In related drinking news, the State Legislature passed H.4739, a law that allows the town to grant a liquor license to the Stoneham Theatre.
Fire Dept. staffing
The subcommittee charged with recommending how to implement the Mass Municipal Associations report on Stoneham Fire Department staffing will include the following people:
•three at large citizens, one of whom must be a former Stoneham Fire Chief,
•two Stoneham Fire senior officers, including the current chief,
•two firefighters,
•a Selectman,
•a Finance Board member
•and TA Berry.
The town will advertise for the at large positions this week, and Berry will work with the Fire Department to choose their representatives. The subcommittee will serve under Berry’s direction and come before the Selectmen with recommendations by April.
VFW building sold
Last week the VFW sold their 89 Hancock Street hall for $315,000 to Stoneham business owners John Macone of Powderhouse Plumbing and John Gardner, David Lynch and Byron Kincaid of Gardner and Lynch Electrical.
VFW President Frank Geary said the organization is discussing possible locations. The bulk of the $315,000 is available to pay for new space. But for now the VFW shares space with the Elks at 471 Main St.
State budget saga
The supplemental budget approved last week by the state House and Senate and signed by the Governor reinstituted $16.6M for the Department of Mental Health, $18M for the Department of Mental Retardation (DMR) as well as $15M for residential services and group homes for the mentally challenged, and $12.5M for Adult Basic Education programs.
“I’m grateful that we got the funding back for the people I care for, but at the same time so many others didn’t,” said EMARC Executive Director JoAnn Simmons. EMARC is a non-profit organization providing services to the mentally retarded in Middlesex County.
A second and probably final supplemental budget was drafted by the Senate last week and sent to the House this week. The Department of Social Services, the Department of Transitional Assistance (formerly Welfare) and Senior Home Care providers are hoping to recover slashed funds. Also DMR is hoping to receive more funding for salary increases.
“Our people are required to be certified in medical administration and CPR and are only paid $20,000 a year,” Simmons said. “That’s not a livable wage.”
Rep. Mike Festa’s (D-Melrose) aide, Amo Cefalo, says the House could vote on the budget and get it to the Governor this week, but Simmons predicts the budget will languish until after the holidays. She also admits that the salary money is a long shot.
In large part because of the contentious nature of the 2002 budget process, Festa, who was hospitalized last week, was back in action on Dec. 18, speaking on TV about an effort among House Democrats to oust Speaker Tom Finneran.
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